Chairman for the National Media Commission (NMC), Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo has explained that fake news in the current technological world cannot be done away with.
He was reacting to President Akufo-Addo’s call for a clamp down on fake news in the media space. The President noted that fake news poses a danger and threat to society and therefore must be dealt with.
However, speaking on E.TV, the NMC chair noted that “we cannot do away with fake news”, adding that nobody can police the airwaves for long therefore people must rather be held liable for whatever information they put out.
“We cannot censor social media. In the countries which have attempted to do that for an instant, there is going to be an election in Tanzania and the information that is coming is that the authorities are blocking social media environment and therefore WhatsApp and other things are not accessible, but for how long can you police the airwave?” he aked.
He added, “while we think it’s important that we allow people to express themselves in whatever means they use, it is also critical for people to take responsibility for whatever information they put out. So at the end of the day, they contribute towards enlightenment rather than the distraction of society.”
Source: GhanaFeed.com